https://arab.news/bf2fy
- Aboul Gheit said restoring Syria鈥檚 membership did not mean all Arab countries had individual normalized relations with Damascus
CAIRO: The Arab League on Sunday has re-admitted Syria鈥檚 regime, ending a more than decade-long suspension and securing President Bashar Al-Assad鈥檚 return to the Arab fold after years of isolation.
Government delegations from Syria 鈥渨ill resume their participation in Arab League meetings鈥� from Sunday, said a statement after a unanimous decision by the group鈥檚 foreign ministers.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan participated in the ministerial meeting held at the league鈥檚 headquarters in Cairo.
The ministers 鈥渃onsulted and exchanged views on the efforts made to reach a political solution to the Syrian crisis that ends its repercussions and preserves Syria鈥檚 unity, security, stability, and Arab identity; returns it to its Arab surroundings, to achieve the good of its brotherly people,鈥� the Saudi Foreign Ministry said on Twitter.
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said in a televised statement that the decision would allow Assad to take part in the group鈥檚 upcoming May 19 summit. It said it was part of a gradual process of resolving the conflict.
鈥淭his doesn鈥檛 mean that the Syria crisis has been resolved, on the contrary,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut it allows the Arab (states) for the first time in years to communicate with the Syrian government to discuss all the problems.鈥�
Aboul Gheit also said restoring Syria鈥檚 membership did not mean all Arab countries had individual normalized relations with Damascus.
Syria鈥檚 return to the body was 鈥渢he beginning ... not the end of the issue,鈥� he added, noting that it was for individual countries to decide whether to resume ties with Damascus.
The council of the League of Arab States welcomed the Arab statements issued by the Jeddah meeting on Syria on April 14 and the Amman meeting on Syria on May 1, 2023.
The council also decided to form a ministerial committee consisting of Jordan, 黑料社区, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, and the league secretary-general to follow up on the implementation of the Amman Declaration, which seeks a 鈥渟tep-by-step鈥� resolution to the Syrian crisis and to continue direct dialogue with the regime.
Syrian Prime Minister Hussein Arnous said on Sunday that Syria had been the victim of 鈥渕isinformation and distortion campaigns launched by our enemies鈥� for 12 years.
He said Sunday鈥檚 consultations reflected the 鈥減restigious position鈥� Syria holds regionally and internationally.
Syria鈥檚 Foreign Ministry called for 鈥淎rab cooperation,鈥� and 鈥渁n effective and constructive Arab approach... based on dialogue, mutual respect and common Arab interests.鈥�
Assad last attended an Arab League summit in 2010. Opposition leaders attended the group鈥檚 summit in Doha in 2013, sparking a furious reaction from Damascus.
鈥淪yria鈥檚 regional isolation is officially broken,鈥� analyst Fabrice Balanche said, calling Sunday鈥檚 decision a 鈥渄iplomatic victory鈥� for Assad.
In April, Prince Faisal made the first visit to Damascus by an official from 黑料社区 since the start of the war, days after Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad visited the Kingdom, also on the first such trip.